


The Muse

by T0TALLYSPIES



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28481028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T0TALLYSPIES/pseuds/T0TALLYSPIES
Summary: Painter, Ash Lynx had somewhat lost his muse when it came to painting which frustrated him to no end. Nothing seemed to work and he was slowly losing hope. That was until he saw could-have-been Olympic pole vaulter, Eiji Okumura and somehow, at that moment, he created his greatest masterpiece yet.
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 24
Kudos: 69





	1. light at the end of the tunnel

Restless nights had always been a part of Ash's routine. He never really remembered the last time he got any decent sleep and frankly, he got used to it— not like insomnia is easily solved. Truth be told, Ash never really wanted to stay up all night, the reason for that is the fact that he was looking for inspiration; a muse, if you will. But alas, he was never really lucky. 

Night time is when Ash is his most productive and that can be seen by the number of canvases scattered in his makeshift studio. Ash never really had an outlet for his emotions when he was younger but that was until he held a paintbrush for the first time and the first ever masterpiece he created was just a shitty inkblot art on a blank canvas that described his trauma as a kid. 

After that, his older brother had supported and encouraged Ash to keep on going with his craft. To channel all the rage, the fear, the sadness he felt all those years. And so, he did, and now Ash is well known for his melancholic and gothically sad artwork. He never really painted anything that was lively or colorful for he never had any experience about anything like it. Sure, he has friends and his older brother and a sort of father figure but Ash never really felt the need to paint anything remotely close to the word  _ Happiness. _

Lately though, Ash felt as if his style was slowly becoming repetitive and somehow, he was getting sick and tired of always painting his traumas though he knew other people related to his pieces. Still, Ash couldn't help but feel as if he could do better. 

For weeks now, the blonde tried his best to paint something different. He experimented with different colors and art styles and all of which were abandoned half-way because it just didn't work. It didn't fucking work. His frustrations were getting worse and the fact that he didn't sleep more wasn't helping. 

He needed a muse. He needed something— anything, at this point.

His bestfriend, Shorter, suggested he should try and go out and look for inspirations in daylight. And although Ash didn't particularly like the idea, he found himself walking around the park early in the morning where there wasn't any people walking around. It was 6 fucking AM after all. 

Hands tucked into the pockets of his sweats, Ash took his time in walking until he walked around a seemingly open gymnasium. Walking in, the blonde somehow felt nostalgic though he hadn't really remembered much how a school gymnasium looked like. He didn't stay in school for long, after all. 

The gymnasium was wide and empty though the lights were on and seemed as if someone was in there. Ash's hunch was right when he came around and saw someone grabbing what he presumed was a vaulting pole. 

A hum would escape from his lips as he leaned against the wall of the entrance before he walked and sat himself down on a chair, making sure he somehow had a good view of the guy who was preparing his pole while also giving away a good distance— he didn't want to startle the guy, surely he wasn't expecting anyone to randomly watch him.

Ash watched closely as the stranger began to walk back from the pit, a pole in hand as he took a deep breath. It seemed seconds or even minutes passed by as he stood there, gawking at the pit endlessly. 

_ Is he going to jump or what? _

What a waste of time, Ash thought. It seemed as if the guy was chickening out on this. Was he a beginner? He doubted it. Sighing, he stood up at the same time the guy began to jog to the pit. Ash stopped and watched, giving the athlete his undivided attention as he launched himself up high. 

Ash didn't really think anyone could fly— how could they? They didn't have wings or anything. But at this moment, he was convinced that maybe that wasn't true. The stranger gracefully flew in the air and he was right there, standing in the bleachers, hoping that his wings would somehow spread open and fly around this wide gymnasium. 

The lights illuminated around him, giving a perfect impression of rays growing from his back, as if he was glowing. Ash was speechless and the only time he was snapped out of his thoughts was when the guy finally landed on his feet just as gracefully as he flew into the air. 

He was breathless, dark hair slightly disheveled and a sheen of sweat could be seen on his forehead. He panted and smiled up at the pit and chuckled at the pole in his hand. Though Ash watched as the smile on his face began to fade away slowly, as if he wasn't really satisfied with what he did.

"Such a baby." He'd mumble to himself as he put the hood of his jacket over his head and stuffed his hands into the pocket of his sweatpants. 

Meanwhile, the dark haired stranger looked up and saw someone walking away from the bleachers, making their way outside the gym. Were they watching him all this time?

"H-Hello?" He'd call out but the person just kept walking until he was out of sight. 

Furrowing his brows, the athlete had the urge to follow and call for the person but he decided against it. Looking down at the pole on his hand, a sigh would leave his lips. 

He could jump again. But it was too late— he had already failed. 

Unbeknownst to him, a certain painter was smiling, hands itching to touch a paintbrush again as a new surge of inspiration hit him like a ton of bricks. 

Shorter was right. Maybe looking for inspiration in the daylight wasn't so bad after all. 

That night, Ash had stayed in his makeshift studio all night, sketching ideas after ideas of what he wanted to create. It was frustrating, not because he couldn't come up with something but because there was just far too many fitting ideas that suited his mystery muse. 

His memories from earlier this morning kept flashing in his head and Ash couldn't stop the smile breaking onto his lips as he remembered how high the little birdy flew into the sky. 

Little Birdy…

Birdy…

A… bird.

It was as if a lightbulb suddenly popped up on his head and Ash scrambled to flip his sketchpad on a fresh blank space and began to sketch endlessly on the smooth paper. Time seemed to pass by and Ash hadn't noticed it was already morning until the sun was beginning to rise up. He was tired, he needed to sleep and he wanted to but there was no time to waste for he was too afraid the idea in his head would go away as fast as it came. 

With one final erasure, Ash blew the excess off the sketchpad and held up his brand new creation in front of him and Ash couldn't help but smile and cheer loudly for his eureka moment. 

It was perfect. It was exactly what fit his mystery muse and he couldn't wait to experiment on the colors. Colors that he didn't particularly have on his go-to kit so he needed to shop for it. 

He wanted something bright, something passionate looking yet somehow mellow for this artwork. It fit the scenario so perfectly and Ash hoped it gave justice to what the little birdy did at the gymnasium yesterday morning. 

That day, Ash had fallen asleep with a smile on his face and his hands all smeared with pencil shadings from sketching all night. He couldn't remember the last time he was this excited about a painting. It gave him a sort of sugar rush but all in all, he was ready to wake up and shop for new paints and get to his work right away. 

  
  


* * *

"That's… different." Ash raised a brow and looked at Shorter as they watched the staff carefully hang Ash's brand new masterpiece on the wall. 

"Different how?" 

"Different in a way where this isn't the usual Ash Lynx painting people would expect." answered Shorter, "It's great. You used different colors besides the ones you usually use. The art style is different, too." 

"I mean, I guess." Ash would reply and looked at his recent work and couldn't help but smile softly at it.  _ Phoenix  _ was the title of his new painting. It had been exactly a year or two since Ash had displayed a painting in an art gallery and after that, he lost muse and people questioned whether he would paint again or not because of his hiatus.

The Phoenix painting was inspired, of course, by the mystery athlete who flew in the air and landed gracefully on his feet. Ash painted him exactly the way he looked mid-air via memory though the only difference was that he added fire-like wings on his back, a perfect alternative for the gym lights that illuminated from him as he jumped. But another factor that Ash liked about the painting was its descriptiveness. 

Ash painted what the athlete looked in perfect accuracy, how he looked that day; his hair, his face, his exact expression though he substituted his outfit with something different. Instead of the usual pole vaulting uniform he wore that day, Ash made his muse go naked though he was covered in all the right places by fire that looked as if it was connected to his wings.. And instead of the pole he had on his hand that day, Ash substituted it with a spear. 

**The Phoenix**

_ In Ancient Greek folklore, a phoenix is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. The phoenix is a fierce creature that is associated by the sun— light and fire itself. It rises from the ashes of its predecessor, unable to fall down, give up, nor be defeated. Hence, always being reborn. _

The description of the painting was placed alongside it and Shorter patted Ash on the shoulder, a smile on his face was plastered. 

"You seem proud with your work. Did you follow my advice?" 

"Obviously." Ash replied, "I went to this gymnasium not too far from my apartment. And I saw someone there." 

Shorter raised a brow as they began to walk through the art gallery, taking in the opportunity to look around before it opens for visitors. 

"It was early so he was the only person there. A pole vaulter, he was. So I stayed and watched because why the hell not? I watched and it was just like that. This guy just suddenly swooped himself from the ground and high up. He just… soared. I was almost convinced this guy was going to fly away, you know?" Ash explained, memories from weeks ago coming back to him as if it just happened yesterday.

"You mean to tell me, that painting of yours was based on the stranger you were stalking?"

"Fuck you, man, it's not like that." Ash rolled his eyes and nonchalantly looked at the other paintings they came across with, "When I looked at him, he wasn't happy. It's like… he doesn't see what he did was fucking amazing." 

"Sounds to me you got hit by the cupid's arrow." Shorter teased and Ash flipped him the bird which only made Shorter bellow with laughter.

"Well, whatever it is, Ash, looks like you found your muse. Though don't you think it'd be weird you based your art on a stranger? What if he finds out and doesn't like it?" 

"Then I'll just explain to him. I don't mind if he asks me to take it down. I just wanted to paint him, that's all." Ash answered, shrugging his shoulders and kept walking through the art gallery until it was time for him and Shorter to go when visitors began to walk right in. 

It wasn't like Ash to paint and sketch strangers like the one he did at that gymnasium but it felt nice to finally glide his paintbrush on a blank canvas again after that day. 

A spark of hope ignited within him and he somehow wanted to thank that person for jumping up high at 6 AM and inspired him to paint what he wanted to paint once again. 

It felt nice to paint something different. Different in a way where it wasn't so dark. It made Ash believe that maybe, there really was a light at the end of the tunnel. Though his was in a form of a pole vaulting stranger. 

Not that he complained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading and supporting the first chapter of the muse! please feel free to drop comments and kudos and don't be shy to stop by on my tumblr acc which is @/levispaperfan! see you all soon in another chapter <3


	2. the phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eiji went to the art gallery with Ibe-san, only to find a particular artwork with a muse that looks exactly like him.

**ANONYMOUS PAINTER, ASH LYNX HAS DEBUTED ANOTHER STUNNING MASTERPIECE CALLED THE PHOENIX.**

_ The New York public art gallery has been swarmed with art enthusiasts with its annual gallery viewing that features many well-known artists from all around the globe. However, people have been talking and gushing over a particular artist's recent piece.  _

_ Ash Lynx has come back from their hiatus by featuring their latest masterpiece called The Phoenix. To give context, Lynx is known for their rather melancholic art style and often uses dark color schemes for their pieces. But recently, The Phoenix harbors none of Lynx' usual art styles which stuns a lot of their fans.  _

_ In addition, Ash Lynx is an anonymous painter who is well-known for their artwork, Banana Fish, and was awarded multiple awards for their creation, all of which was received by their representative. Up until today, Ash Lynx hasn't made a single public appearance, leaving their identity completely unknown. _

_ "It's the first time we've ever seen them create something like this. And it's very detailed. Usually, Ash would somehow drop hints on what their next piece would be. But somehow, they never said anything so we were surprised that they suddenly dropped this all of a sudden." One fan would say.  _

_ The Phoenix has sparked discussions on the internet with one tweet from one of Lynx' fans questioning where Lynx got his inspiration from the painting and who he based the man in his painting on. The tweet garnered a huge amount of attention and all of which concluded to fans thinking that Lynx may have found his own personal muse. _

_ Whether or not the man in The Phoenix painting is based on a real person, is currently unknown. _

* * *

"Ei-chan, are you ready to go?" Ibe-san had asked him, breaking him out of his thoughts as he stretched his ankle around in a gentle manner. 

"Ah, yes, Ibe-san. Just putting my shoes on." He'd say and Ibe had left him to it. 

His ankle was hurting. It had been after the incident that happened a few weeks ago. Eiji tried his best not to think about it but sometimes he would find himself with thoughts drifting away to the exact scenario. 

Shaking his head, Eiji would put his shoes on and soon enough, he met Ibe-san out the front door. 

For today, Eiji was visiting the New York Art Gallery after hearing Ibe gush about it once he saw it on the news. Eiji had remembered how fond Ibe-san was with art and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to visit it especially since one of his favorite painters were debuting their recent work. 

Eiji wasn't really that fond with paintings and artwork but since he was here in America for an internship and a sort of vacation, he thought it would be a good opportunity to do some sightseeing while he can. It's not everyday he gets to be out of the country. 

The drive to the art gallery didn't take that long and Eiji was somehow thankful they didn't walk all the way over there or else, Ibe-san would end up worrying about him and his ankle. 

His stupid ankle. 

It had been a few weeks since that day in the gymnasium and because of the jump that he did, his foot had been aching for days. Sometimes appearing and disappearing at random times. There were moments where he had to sleep with an ice pack and would take a bath or shower with warm water just to soothe the pain. 

A sigh would leave from his lips as he sat in the passenger's seat and somehow ignored the way Ibe would turn his head towards Eiji just to check if he was okay. 

When they got to their destination, Eiji stared in awe at the amount of people going in and out of the gallery. 

"Why are there so many people?" He would ask. 

"Ah, seems like Ash Lynx debuted another piece. It was like this not too long ago before his hiatus." Ibe answered as he carefully parked his car. 

"Ash… Lynx?" 

"Yeah, they're a painter I was talking to you about— an anonymous one, no one really knows their identity." replied Ibe as Eiji nodded slowly in response.

"He created that painting. Banana Fish, yes?" 

_ What a silly name,  _ Eiji thought.

"Yep, he's the one. That was their debut work and a lot of people loved it— claimed they haven't seen anything like it before." 

Getting out of the car, the three made their way inside the building and Eiji was slightly taken aback at the amount of people inside. It wasn't that crowded but it was enough for the brunette to be surprised that there was an impressive amount of people who took liking in paintings. 

Not that it was a bad thing. 

"Ei-chan, go and look around, I'll meet you at Ash Lynx' exhibit." Ibe-san would say to which Eiji nodded and watched him go on the opposite way from him.

Shrugging, Eiji went the opposite way and began to look at the various paintings that hung on the walls of the gallery. There were ones that he liked, that he found beautiful, and there were ones he found rather confusing. 

Though each time he had walked further into the museum, Eiji had a feeling that there were eyes on him. Furrowing his brows, he turned back and immediately saw two girls look away and whisper among themselves. Looking to his right, the same thing happened to one woman and one man. Though the woman wasn't very subtle as she pointed at Eiji, to which the Japanese chose to ignore. A sense of uncomfort creeping up on him. 

What is it with Americans and gossiping?

Eiji stopped by and looked at a painting that belonged to an artist named Yut-Lung. And the painting consisted of a dragon. Eiji was impressed by how intricate it looked and though the dragon looked fierce, the brunette received a sense of loneliness from it. 

What a beautiful painting. 

Though as much as he liked his time alone, Eiji felt his phone vibrate from his pocket. It must be Ibe-san, he thought. 

Seeing that his hunch was right, Eiji accepted the call and put his phone against his ear. 

_ "Moshi moshi." _ He'd say. 

"Ei-chan! Come here, you have to see this!" 

"See what, Ibe-san, is there something wrong?" 

"Just come down here. Ash Lynx' exhibit." The call ended. Eiji furrowed his brows as he looked at his phone confusingly. Stuffing his phone inside the pocket of his jeans, Eiji began to look for Ash Lynx' exhibit and was somehow thankful that the names of the artists were placed near their work. It was easy to identify. 

Eiji saw a swarm of people all cramped up in one place, seemingly looking at an artwork and somehow, he got a feeling that this was Ash Lynx' piece. The painter, he realized, was a bit well-known than he originally thought. 

The closer he got to the crowd, the more people took notice of him and once they did, they whispered to themselves just like those people did at the other side of the gallery. 

Eiji politely excused himself to get through and the more people saw him, the easier he got to pass because people were making way for him. Eiji had a bad feeling about this but brushed it off when he saw Ibe-san standing in front of the exhibit along with other people who wished to look at it and Eiji poked his shoulder to get Ibe's attention. 

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked, his accent a bit thick as he looked at Ibe with concern.

"I- well…" The adult started before letting out a sigh, "I think it's better if you see it for yourself, Ei-chan." 

The response was vague but nonetheless, Ibe stepped aside to let Eiji through so he could see the painting, to which the Japanese looked with wide eyes.

He froze on his spot, gawking at the painting the same way he would gawk at the vaulting pit in the gymnasium and the track field back in Japan. The painting stood there all tall and mighty, strong fiery colors spoke loud volumes and among all of the paintings Eiji had seen on here, this one was by far the most majestic of them all. 

But what shocked him the most was the subject of the painting.

The dark hair, the eyes, the face, the expression, basically everything about the subject looked a lot like Eiji. The painting was very detailed, as if this painting would have taken months for someone to do but for someone as talented as this Ash Lynx person, Eiji assumed this just took a few weeks. 

"I—" Eiji started, his gaze never leaving the painting. It was as if it was screaming at him. It was like looking in front of the mirror. 

"Do you think it's him?" 

"Of course it's him, he looks a lot like The Phoenix painting!" 

"He looks shocked." 

"Must've been the first time he saw the painting." 

"Do you think Ash did it as a surprise?" 

"That's so sweet!" 

Eiji stood there for what seemed like forever until he broke out of his own thoughts when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Eiji looked at the person who did it only to see the two girls he saw earlier on.

"That's you, right? On the painting?" One of them asked and Eiji opened his mouth to say something when the other girl beat him to it. 

"I can't believe it, you're real! You're a real person, Ash Lynx painted you! What's your name?" 

And just like that, the people around them began to bombard Eiji with questions he didn't know how to answer, cameras from people's phones began to flash and the brunette began to feel claustrophobic, as if everything was closing in on him. 

The commotion was enough for Ibe to shout for some guards to come and help them and it didn't take long before Eiji was being escorted out of the gallery while the guards pushed the people back away from him.

Once out, Eiji took a deep breath and Ibe immediately guided him back to the car to where Eiji didn't hesitate to go in. He felt nauseated from the scenario though it felt as if everything went by like a blur. 

"Ei-chan—"

"I don't know the person!" Eiji suddenly bursted out, cutting Ibe off from his words, "I-I… I don't know who they are, I don't know how they… how they painted me, I don't—" 

"Then it must be just a huge coincidence." The older male responded, trying to lighten up the mood, "You know how artists are and their imagination. They must have painted that and didn't know you were a living person." 

Eiji sat still, not knowing how to really answer that. 

"That must be it." Ibe would say after a while and reached back to pat Eiji's knee comfortingly, "How about we go somewhere to eat? It's almost dinner time after all." 

Eiji stayed silent but nodded after a while before he looked out the tinted window of Ibe's car and saw a group of reporters approaching the building, probably wanting to cover the news about Ash Lynx' latest masterpiece. 

"Let's go before they find out what happened." And with that, Ibe pulled out onto the driveway and began to steer clear away from the art gallery. 

Eiji sat back, the tension on his shoulders dropping as a huge sigh left his lips. 

What just happened?

* * *

  
  


**PHOENIX STAN** @masterpiecelynx

so y'all mean to tell me that ash painted this whole fucking masterpiece and the person in the painting turned out to be a REAL person? lemme just scream—

**235 Retweets 36 Quote Tweets 5738 Likes**

  
  
  
  
  


**⤷ ASH LYNX FACE REVEAL** @ashspaintbrush replied:

DID YOU GUYS SEE HOW BAFFLED THE GUY WAS? IT'S LIKE HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS PAINTED BY ASH—

**45 Retweets 10 Quote Tweets 110 Likes**

  
  
  
  
  


**⤷ #WHOISPHOENIX** @bananafiish replied:

i think i saw a reddit post that debunked who phoenix is.

  
  
  
  
  


**⤷ PHOENIX STAN** @masterpiecelynx replied:

HOLD UP. u mean to tell me that they already scavenged phoenix' identity?

  
  
  
  
  


**⤷ #WHOISPHOENIX** @bananafiish replied: 

yeah! but the post is deleted now so idk where to find it :( but they said that phoenix is from japan and used to be an athlete. 

  
  
  
  
  


**#STOPFINDINGPHOENIX** @aestheticlynx

STOP FINDING WHO PHOENIX IS. y'all do realize that ash may have painted the phoenix via his imagination, right? artists do it all the time. he may have coincidentally painted phoenix not knowing that they actually exist. stop trying to find who the poor guy is. did y'all see the video? he looks PETRIFIED!

**15.4k Retweets 1.2k Quote Tweets 20.5k Likes**

  
  


* * *

  
  


"What the flying fuck, man?!" Ash roared in anger as he wiped the water from his face and glared up at Shorter who was holding a bucket. 

"Good, you're awake, now look at the shit you did." Shorter wasn't the least bit bothered by Ash's string of colorful curses as he made his way out of the blonde's room and turned the volume of the TV up. 

"What is it this time?" Ash groaned and made his way out of his room dressed in pajamas that hang loosely around his hips, not even bothering to push a shirt on while his hair was wet from the water Shorter rudely poured over at him. 

_ "The New York Art Gallery caused a major uproar after the muse on Ash Lynx' recent artwork was revealed to be a real person. Sources say that earlier afternoon, a mystery man turned up at the gallery and looked at Lynx' piece only to realize the subject of the art looked exactly like him. The scenario caused a huge commotion inside the gallery which forced the mystery muse to get escorted out of the building." _ The reporter would say before a short video clip was being played on screen.

Ash watched closely as the guy stood there helplessly, mouth open but no words came out when he was thrown question after question about who he is. 

Shorter turned the TV off, put the bucket on the ground and crossed his arms before looking at his blonde friend. 

"Now do you see what the hell is going on, Ash?" 

"Look, I didn't know it would end up like this." Ash would try to reason out but he knew Shorter wouldn't buy that shit especially at a time like this.

"Bullshit, man, you knew exactly what would happen. What were you thinking painting some random dude?" 

"Well, Jesus, Shorter, I had no idea he would fucking turn up like that!" Ash snapped. 

"Look, I know, dude, and I can't entirely blame you because you just found your muse and it just so happened to be that guy but what's going to happen now? You saw how the public eye treated him."

Ash sighed and ran a hand through his hair, causing his to slick back since it was wet while a few loose strands dropped in front of his face. 

"I'll just try and find him again and talk to him about it. I had no bad intentions, I just sat down, let my hands work and painted him. He was the only one I felt that would work on a blank canvas and he made it work." 

There was a silence between them and Shorter nodded slowly and picked up the empty bucket before he patted Ash's shoulder as a means of telling him that he trusts whatever Ash would do before he made his way past his blonde friend. 

Ash took a deep breath and sat down on the couch, pulling out his phone and saw that the whole ordeal was a trending topic on Twitter. 

"Great." He mumbled to himself as he leaned back against the sofa, dropping his phone right next to him, with his arms all outstretched beside him. 

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He hissed at himself.

Ash just found his muse… was it even worth it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tadaaaaa! i worked pretty hard on this chapter so i hope you all like it! if you have comments or suggestion, feel free to drop them below and leave kudos if you want! <3 
> 
> for those who want to follow my tumblr, it's @/levispaperfan!


	3. the bird and the lynx

Ash liked to think the world was once a blank canvas and that God was the artist— thinking and waiting for an idea to pop into his head so he could create a masterpiece of his own. He was never religious but Ash thought that the idea was amusing that sometimes, he liked to play God and create a whole new world in a blank canvas— create whatever it is that he felt fit enough to create. 

But sometimes, Ash would wonder if God ever had trouble creating something. If he ever left a work unfinished. Would he return to it? Would he finish it? Or would he abandon it and start a new one? 

It felt like forever since Ash had stared at his makeshift studio. Crumpled paper strewn all over and a few unfinished canvases left lying on the floor. Sighing, his body went on auto-pilot and began to clean whilst his mind was elsewhere. 

Ash liked to treat painting as his escape route. Reality felt like a prison and the first time he ever held a paintbrush, he looked at it for minutes. And when he created his first painting, Ash swore he could look at it for eternity. Because that was the proof that for a short while, he was able to escape the nightmare that was his life. 

And for once, Ash smiled. He felt proud. He felt… happy. He felt  _ safe. _ And he was certain he would never feel safety but the art of painting and even sketching had made him feel that way. 

His train of thoughts were stopped the moment he realized his studio was finally clean. Scratching the back of his neck, Ash had made his way out and locked the door before making his way back to his living room where Shorter was fast asleep, napping on the couch like a house cat that snores like a truck driver. 

It was already night out and even though Ash hadn't prepared dinner yet, he was sure that Shorter would be smart enough to cook up something on his own or better yet, order some take out. 

"Hey, Shorter, I'm going out for a walk. Just fix something for yourself for dinner." Ash called out as he slipped on a hoodie and Shorter just grunted in response. 

Rolling his eyes, Ash made his way to the door, stopping for a moment when his eyes landed on a framed canvas of his first ever debuted artwork;  _ Banana Fish. _

It seemed like yesterday when he got carried away creating that. Only because at the time, he was at his lowest point. 

A sigh left his lips and Ash took it upon himself to go back to his room, grab his sketchbook and pencil before he finally made his way out of the apartment and locked the door behind him. 

This was one of the times the blonde had time for himself— to think about things he wanted to think about while also trying to come in peace with the thoughts he didn't want to think of again. Not like he could help his own damn brain. 

New York was the city that never sleeps so no matter how late it was, one would still see cars lingering by, people walking around the streets as if danger never lurked here and there. Ash sometimes liked to just sit on a bench and watch the world go by in front of him. Watch students walking around with their peers, couples being all lovey-dovey on each other, friends goofing around, working professionals talking on their phones in a rush, homeless people extending empty canisters for some spare change. 

Everyone has a different story and one where only they can know. It fascinated Ash that every person he ever saw has a blank canvas of their own— all waiting to be painted on. All waiting to be finished and hung up on a wall. 

Sometimes he wondered if his own blank canvas was already painted. Is it finished? Is it… beautiful? Horrifying? 

The thought somehow left a bitter taste on his tongue. 

It seemed as if he had been walking by for hours until Ash had finally decided to find a spot in a park. Seeing an empty bench with a good view of the bustling city, the blonde soon sat down and flipped his sketchpad to a clean, empty page. 

Ash would tap his pencil on the pad quite a few times all while glancing at the scenario in front of him before his hand started to work its way on the paper, sketching on it and getting lost in the world he's creating. 

He was getting sucked into it again. Everytime he would create something, Ash would find himself tuning out his surroundings. He wouldn't hear anything nearby, wouldn't see anything but his work and he wouldn't feel anything but the swift movement of his hands while the tip of his pencil glided smoothly on this piece of paper. 

This is what he loved most about creating art; he'd get lost in it. He would get lost in his emotions and sometimes, Ash treated it as both a blessing and a curse. His art would bring his emotions to life every single time. Whatever it was that he was feeling, his art would be a clear representation of it. 

Thus why Banana Fish was both devastating and scary to look at. It was tragically, and hauntingly beautiful. 

"Wow!" Ash jumped on his seat, his moments of solitude was suddenly broken when someone spoke beside him. 

Looking down at his work, he hadn't realized he had already made a full sketch of the city and the park in front of him until he looked at his work properly. He must have been carried away again. 

"That's really cool!" The person beside him would say again, a clear accent could be detected in his voice. 

Sighing, Ash would put his hood down and looked at whoever it was that rudely interrupted him. However, he froze on his spot once his eyes landed on the culprit. 

Dark brown hair slightly ruffled. Eyes just as dark but held so much emotion in them. Skin smooth and pale and lips curved into a smile. 

_ Birdy.  _

"Are you… an artist?" Birdy would ask, eyes curious as he looked back and forth at the sketchpad and Ash's eyes. 

"Uh… yeah, I guess you could say that." Ash eventually responded, earning a hum from the male beside him. 

"Can I look at it?" 

"You already are." 

"I mean, uh…" 

Ash sighed and carefully handed his sketchpad over to him which Birdy gladly took in his hands. The blonde quietly watched the other inspect his quick sketch. He'd watch as Birdy lightly traced his fingers against the drawing, letting out a noise that expressed his amazement of the artist's creation, muttering something in Japanese that sounded like  _ "Sugoi!" _ before he handed the sketchpad back to Ash.

"Thank you for trusting me with it." Ash hummed in response before he flipped his sketchpad closed. 

They both sat in silence, neither speaking but the silence wasn't awkward or uncomfortable; it was peaceful and calm and there were times Ash would steal glances at the other male and sometimes he would find it rather odd that he was sitting down with the muse of his recent painting and the other had no idea that the artist of said painting was Ash himself. 

"What brings you here?" asked the American. 

"Here in America?" 

"Well, that, too. If you wanna share."

"Ah. Well, I came here as a photographer's assistant. I'm from Japan." Ah, that explains it. 

"And do you like it here in America?" 

"Well, it's exactly how I saw it in those TV shows." The Japanese answered and Ash couldn't help but snort at his answers. 

"Don't get your hopes up. America's not all dreamy as the media portrays it." He'd say and frowned slightly at his own words. 

"Seems to me that it is you who does not like their own country." Birdy would say, a teasing tone could be detected in his voice. 

"Well, I wouldn't say it like that but yeah, it has its flaws."

Another moment of silence engulfed the two. 

"What's your name?" asked the blonde as he turned to look at the brunette who was too occupied by looking at the stars that were shining in the sky. 

_ Such a baby,  _ he thought. 

"Eiji." The brunette would say before he turned over to look at Ash with a smile on his face and Ash was taken aback slightly as the light from the lampshade right next to them illuminated Eiji's face perfectly. 

"My name is Eiji Okumura. It's nice to meet you. What is your name?" Eiji would ask, tilting his head to the side as he waited patiently for the answer. 

Ash opened his mouth to answer his question and he almost uttered  _ Ash Lynx  _ but then remembered the event that happened at the art gallery not too long ago. 

"Aslan." Ash would say after some time, "Aslan Callenreese. It's nice to meet you, Eiji." 

Eiji would smile, held his hand out and Ash stared at it for a moment before he eventually took Eiji's hand in his and shook it, ignoring how oddly soft his hand was.

"What brings you here then, Aslan? To the park, I mean?" 

"Nothing just… wanted some peace, I guess." 

"Ah. I can relate to that." 

Ash almost flinched at his answer and somehow, a pang of guilt hit him. How can he be so casual about this? Here was Ash Lynx, anonymous painter, talking to the very subject of his newest painting, striking up a conversation with said subject and pretending he didn't just paint the guy after he watched the other fly like a glorious fucking bird. 

"Why? Having some troubles?"  _ Ha. Even have the nerve to fucking ask. _

"Not really. Just confused, if I must say." Eiji would reply, looking down at his hands that were placed on his lap.

"About what?" 

"About…" Eiji trailed off and Ash sat patiently, waiting for the Japanese to finish his sentence but noticed that Eiji had a far off look in his eyes. 

"That painting… it was intimidating." Eiji would say, his voice hushed and Ash furrowed his brows upon hearing his words. 

"Painting…?" He asked, feigning innocence. 

"Yes. There was a painting at the gallery, I went about three days ago. Painting from Ash Lynx, they said. And the painting… it looked like me." Eiji explained, "But I'm not trying to claim it is really me on painting but I'm just… thinking, I guess." 

"What made you intimidated by it then?" 

Eiji was silent for a few minutes but Ash was patient. 

"I was flying." He'd say, "I had wings— big wings. Big like this." 

Ash felt his lips curve into a smile as he watched Eiji stretch his arms out, demonstrating how big his wings were in the painting. 

"And that made you feel intimidated?" 

Eiji hummed and nodded in response, "It did." 

"I was a pole vaulter." He added and Ash turned to look at Eiji, noticing a distant look in his eyes, "I jump walls as high as that tree. Maybe higher than that." 

"What… what happened?" 

"Injury. This ankle." Eiji would point at his left ankle before leaning back against the bench, "I landed wrong and then ankle got twisted.  _ Crack!  _ It said. And then doctor back in Japan said I could never fly again." 

_ Then… why was he at the gymnasium that day?  _ Ash thought but bit his tongue to keep himself from asking. 

"Sounds rough. Did you like it? Pole vaulting, I mean?" 

"I did. I felt nice to fly. My coach would call me Flyboy and if not for my injury, my city would have had a representative for the Olympics." 

Ash felt his jaw dropping at the mere mention. If Eiji had that much potential, he could only imagine how good he was at pole vaulting if he wasn't injured. He was already amazed the moment he saw the brunette soaring up high into the air that day, what if he saw Eiji before his untimely injury?

"Must be nice. To fly, I mean." Ash would say, voice hushed as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. 

"It was. But now, I stay here on the ground." Eiji replied, "It's not so bad, I think. I flew long enough." 

"Did you hate it? The painting?" 

Eiji hummed for a moment, looking as if he was contemplating what to say before he shook his head.

"I loved it." The response caught Ash off guard and when he looked at Eiji, he found the Japanese smiling. 

"I'm not saying it's really me in that painting. Maybe the artist imagined a random face and it turned out to be real person coincidentally. But it's nice to think that they made me look like I could fly again." Eiji would let out a sigh and looked up at the night sky, "I guess I was overwhelmed that day at the gallery. Many people asked questions. Are Americans always so nosy?" 

Ash couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles at Eiji's words. The question caught him off guard but it was enough to amuse him this much. 

"Sometimes, yeah. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Though I heard about the news at the art gallery. You… you aren't being bothered by those people, are you?" 

"Why, are you going to chase them out?" Eiji asked teasingly and Ash rolled his eyes in response. 

"Pfft! As if. What am I, a knight in shining armor?" 

"Oh, my hero!" The Japanese responded, posing like a damsel in distress dramatically. 

"Shut up!" Ash retorted causing the other male to laugh at his reaction much to Ash's annoyance, "I'm asking because sometimes people can get a bit curious for their own good." 

"I see. Well, they haven't bothered me much after that. Except they found out my name and where I'm from." 

_ Shit. _

"This Ash Lynx person has some scary fans." Eiji added and Ash snorted in return. 

_ Got that one right,  _ the blonde thought. 

Ash noticed Eiji looking down at his watch before the brunette let out a sigh. 

"It's getting late, I should get going, still have to prepare dinner. Are you going to stay here?" Eiji asked as he stood up from his seat. 

"So you're a housewife, huh?" Ash teased, a smirk making its way onto his lips whereas Eiji glared at him in response though the glare just made him look more like an angry bunny. 

"I'm not a housewife." The brunette grumbled. 

"Yeah, sure. But yeah, I think I'll stay here for a bit. Where do you live right now though?" 

"I'm not telling my address to a possible stalker." Eiji stuck his tongue out and it was Ash's turn to glare at him. 

"I'm not a— you know what, I'm not arguing with you. Now, go home already. A housewife like you should be cooking by now." 

"So mean." Eiji mumbled to himself before he smiled down at Ash, "It was nice meeting you, Aslan. I had fun." 

Ash felt himself smiling softly at Eiji as he nodded, "I did, too." 

"Well, I, uh… see you around?" The brunette scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and Ash chuckled at the sight of him suddenly being awkward. 

"Mhm, sure. I'll see you around, Eiji." 

And with that, Eiji waved goodbye and began to walk away but unbeknownst to the Japanese, a certain blonde American had watched him like a hawk until he was out of his sight. 

Ash let out the deepest sigh as he slumped against the park bench and looked up at the sky that Eiji was staring just a few days ago. 

And if Ash had an idea for another painting, the world may never know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand they finally met! i hope this chapter was good enough to read hehe. i did my best to make asheiji's conversation to be as natural and canon as i can so i hope it didn't turn out too bad. 
> 
> also, please feel free to comment down below and every kudos left on here is deeply appreciated! thank you all for supporting this series so far! 
> 
> where to find me ♡
> 
> TUMBLR: levispaperfan  
> INSTAGRAM: aslansearring


	4. cat's out of the bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Though Max would reply and talk to his friend, his mind would wander back to the Japanese boy following closely behind them who was dressed in light washed jeans and soft yellow sweatshirt tucked underneath. Max didn't really mind that Eiji came, he seemed like a nice kid. 
> 
> What blew his mind was the fact that this was a small fucking world and that going to Chang Dai would prove that statement."
> 
> or
> 
> Eiji joins Ibe-san and his friend Max for dinner at Chang Dai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, all! i just want to clear any confusion regarding this story particularly in chapter 2 because instead of meeting max in that chapter, i erased that and made eiji go to the art gallery with ibe only. meaning, this would be the first time eiji would meet max. i thought this was a fitting circumstance for max to meet eiji. 
> 
> p.s. whenever eiji's dialogue is in italic, it means he's speaking in japanese. same goes with ibe. his english would be formal and slightly broken but that's because he is still learning to be fluent in the language.

That wasn't the only time. 

Ever since Eiji had visited the park to cool off and ponder over his thoughts, he hadn't stopped visiting the exact same spot that he walked by just a few weeks ago. Somehow, his new blonde, American friend somehow thought the same too, Eiji hoped. 

Every time that Eiji stopped by, he would see Aslan with a sketchpad, too preoccupied to even look up when the older male would sit down next to him but Eiji would somehow find himself a bit surprised whenever Aslan would silently hand over his finished sketch, letting the brunette have a look of his random doodle. 

It was nice to somehow talk to someone that was around your age. Even though Ash was two years younger than he was, it didn't stop the blonde to tease Eiji and talk as if Aslan was the older one of the two— up to this day, the American refused to believe Eiji was the older one. 

_"It's your face, you got a baby face. You're probably lying about being older."_ Aslan would say but Eiji often brushed the comment off by saying something witty in return.

This routine had been an unspoken agreement between the two of them. Every night at around 6 PM, the two of them would meet up at the park to just… well, talk. Sometimes they didn't really talk— they just enjoyed the peaceful silence that engulfed them. Sometimes Eiji would bring his camera and take pictures of the scene in front of them or just about anything Eiji felt was nice to take a picture of. There are times he would watch Aslan sketch something randomly and Eiji would be amazed by how swiftly his fingers moved. 

Eiji had learned quite a bit about Aslan during their regular visits at the park. He learned that the younger male had just graduated highschool— top of his class, Aslan would never fail to add. But now he was trying to think about what he would major in though and Aslan made it clear that he would probably take a year off to fully decide what it was that he wanted to do. 

The Japanese couldn't help but relate to that somehow. He wasn't indifferent to the feeling of uncertainty. He somehow knew the feeling of not knowing what to do after you've done something because you simply hadn't anticipated the near future. 

After pole vaulting, after it was snatched away from him, Eiji didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to start and when to get back up. He was lost— he _felt_ lost.

It was somehow easy to open up to Aslan. Of course, they didn't share everything about themselves but they shared just enough to know a little bit about the other. Though there was one instance where the two of them dwindle on the topic of childhood and Eiji could remember the way Aslan had flinched. 

That day, the dark haired boy decided not to dive into that topic just yet. 

Eiji would sometimes wonder what it was that Aslan would blatantly avoid talking about his childhood though. He sometimes thought about it whenever he was at Ibe-san's and studying English and sometimes the thought would cross whenever he's at work. 

But it was clear that whatever it was that made his friend flinch, it wasn't a pleasant memory. 

Their constant meet up had lead to Aslan asking for his number. Though the blonde claimed that it's because he could ask Eiji could to buy some food beforehand because most of the time, it was Ash who would always get there first. 

Eiji would scoff at the thought of Aslan's sudden demands. 

_That Aslan._

But it was convenient that Aslan had asked for Eiji's number because there were times they would text each other to let the other know what food they wanted or if they would ever meet up to their usual spot and sometimes, they'd text each other some dumb shit. 

**THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT 🦁**

_Hey, onii-chan, can't come to the park today. Got to work an extra shift tonight._

**[Read 5:45 PM]**

The text had somehow caused a pang of disappointment to hit Eiji, not really directed at his friend but at the circumstance. This was probably the first time they wouldn't meet at their usual spot but it's not like it could be helped. 

_Ah, it okay! Perfectly fine. I work extra long today too. I go with Ibe-san to meet his friend so can't come today as well._

**[Read 5:56 PM]**

_Well, that's a bummer. Guess we're both busy then._

**[Read 6:00 PM]**

_Yes, it is unfortunate._ (๑◕︵◕๑)

**[Read 6:02 PM]**

_Awww, is onii-chan missing me?_

**[Read 6:03]**

_Pfft! As if I would miss annoying American like you!_ ╮( ˘ ､ ˘ )╭

**[Read 6:03 PM]**

_Not my fault I'm cooler than you._

**[Read 6:05 PM]**

_Anyways, I'm taking a break so I'll probably get back to work in a few. Where are you going today with that old man of yours?_

**[Read 6:07 PM]**

_If you're cooler than me, I hotter than you!_ (⌒▽⌒)☆

**[Read 6:08 PM]**

_Not sure. Ibe-san invited me last minute so I do not know where we going today. But Ibe-san says that his friends are nice so I got no worries. I think we go out to eat today since dinner time almost here._

**[Read 6:10 PM]**

_"Ei-chan. You ready to go?"_ Ibe called over in Japanese, breaking Eiji out of his moments of solitude and nodded his head before he slung his backpack over his shoulder. 

_Have to go, Aslan. Talk later. Thank you for your hard work today._

**[Read 6:15 PM]**

_And don't overwork yourself. It is bad if babies get too tired, they go waah! waah!_ (╥﹏╥)

**[Read 6:15 PM]**

_You're a little shit._

**[Read 6:16 PM]**

Eiji laughed at the last message and tucked his phone in the pocket of his jeans before he met Ibe at the front door of the studio. After waiting for the adult to shut off the lights and close up properly, they walked up to the corner where they met up with a man who waved at them. 

"Ei-chan, this is my friend Max Lobo. He and I worked before for an article." Ibe would say and Eiji, out of habit, bowed to the man which somehow caught Max off guard. 

"Ah, so _this_ is Eiji, huh?" Max would say, chuckling quite nervously as he scratched the back of his neck but his nervousness seemed to go unnoticed by the two Japanese men. 

"It's nice to meet you, sir. I am Eiji Okumura." The dark haired Asian would say. 

"Just call me Max, kid, no need for formality around me, I'm not that old." Max would tease and Eiji would smile sheepishly in return. 

"I apologize if I brought him with us, Max, but I thought it would be okay for him to loosen up a bit since it's a Friday and all Ei-chan had done here in America is work." Ibe explained but Max waved his hand dismissively at the apology. 

"Oh, no need for that, Shunichi. Eiji is welcome to join us. But, uh… we'll be eating at Chinatown, you remember Chang Dai, right?" asked Max who stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jeans while stealing nervous glances at Eiji but again, neither of the two noticed his nervous looks. 

"Oh, yes! They have the best Chinese food in town. Ei-chan, you would love it there, I know you've grown tired of McDonald's." 

"It is not so bad. Just not used to eating greasy food." Eiji replied, earning a laugh from Max. 

"Well, that's America for you. Greasy food is our specialty. Anyways, uh… let's go? We'll just work there, the place is not so far from here so I hope you two don't mind?" 

"No, not mind at all. Walking is good exercise!" Eiji immediately reassured them and Max had lead the way while Shunichi chatted away beside him, telling him all of the things he had missed while they had parted ways a few years back. 

Though Max would reply and talk to his friend, his mind would wander back to the Japanese boy following closely behind them who was dressed in light washed jeans and soft yellow sweatshirt tucked underneath. Max didn't really mind that Eiji came, he seemed like a nice kid. 

What blew his mind was the fact that this was a small fucking world and that going to Chang Dai would prove that statement. See, he could easily make the two go to a different restaurant and eat there but Nadia would kill Max before he would even have the chance to do so considering she had already reserved a table at the place for this particular reason. 

_This is bad, this is really bad!_ Max thought as he looked back at Eiji who was too busy looking at Chinatown in awe though he made sure to stay close, not wanting to get lost in these streets. 

_Ah, fuck it!_

Max gulped once he saw Chang Dai coming into view and he just hoped a particular worker was too busy working in the kitchen and he _prayed_ to whatever higher power it is out there that he wouldn't come out until they've eaten dinner and went home. 

Despite Max panicking on the inside, the three men walked inside the restaurant, the bell chiming signaled their arrival and Eiji took a good look at the place and saw how there were decent amount of customers eating. Not too crowded but it wasn't too empty either. 

"Hey, Max!" A woman would behind the counter would greet them with a smile and Max would wave, despite the sweat trickling down his forehead. 

"Hey, Nadia! Uh, say, is AJ—" 

"Oh, you must be Shunichi, it's a pleasure to meet you, who's the other one?" Nadia would ask, shifting her gaze towards Eiji and just as Eiji was about to introduce himself, the door from the kitchen opened and a particular blonde American boy emerged, wearing the usual Chang Dai uniform. 

"Hey, Nadia, where do we keep the—"

"Aslan!" 

Max flinched and closed his eyes shut momentarily before he opened it again to see _Aslan_ freezing in his spot while Nadia looked back and forth between the two confusingly. 

Ash would slowly turn his head towards Eiji who beamed at him and he realized at that moment that the yellow sweatshirt he was wearing matched him perfectly only because it was as bright as his aura if the younger male could see it. 

However, he shifted his gaze towards Max who smiled at him sheepishly but they both knew that at that moment, Ash would hand Max' ass back to him once this evening was done. 

"I did not know you worked here." Eiji would add, the familiar accent came in tact and the interaction between the two confused the adults even more. 

There was a moment of silence and they were lucky enough that the other customers were too busy chatting to themselves to even notice what was happening right now. Ash would open his mouth to say something when the kitchen door opened and out came Shorter who was holding a ladle in his hand. 

"Yo, white boy, did you get— hey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen— Oh! Oh. _Oh._ " The purple mohawked guy landed his gaze on Eiji who looked at them confusingly, head tilted to the side. 

"Yeah, lemme just find it myself." And with that, he went back to the kitchen, leaving his blonde friend to deal with this particular matter but not before he patted Ash's back which meant that he was wishing him luck silently. 

Ash took a deep breath and flashed one of his signature charming smiles that somehow took the Japanese boy aback by his sudden change in demeanor. 

"Welcome to Chang Dai. Let me show you to your seats." Ash would say in gritted teeth as he tilted his head to the side. 

To Eiji, Ash looked like one of those models who was trying to advertise a brand. 

But to Max— oh, to Max, Ash looked like death himself behind that charming smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading until the end! i hope this chapter was a good read because tbh i kind of doubted this one but i hope it turned out good enough. i appreciate every single comment and kudos that are left on here, i'm very thankful for the support i get! 
> 
> where to find me:
> 
> TUMBLR- levispaperfan  
> INSTAGRAM: aslansearring


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